Another Hajj stampede

RobertKK · 24-09-2015 12:22pm #1

At the moment at least 453 people killed in a Hajj stampede and at least 719 injured.
Most years it seems to be an event where people stampede and kill many people.
All the stories coming out of Saudi Arabia seem to involve people being killed.

whiskeyman · 24-09-2015 12:25pm

Thank you Robert.

Now over to Stephen at the Sports Desk...

NachoBusiness · 24-09-2015 12:25pm

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34346449

custard gannet · 24-09-2015 12:32pm

Seems to happen every other year at it, which is odd considering that Saudi Arabia is seemingly as wealthy and modernised as anywhere in the West (infrastructurally, if not culturally). Imagine if a few hundred people per year were getting killed at Vatican masses or Papal visits.

biko · 24-09-2015 12:32pm

The quicker the fanatics kill each other...

iDave · 24-09-2015 12:33pm

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis

pmasterson95 · 24-09-2015 12:37pm

Is this just part of the pilgramage?

mad muffin · 24-09-2015 12:37pm

Oh well…

Rhys Essien · 24-09-2015 12:52pm

Updated now to over 700 killed.

Menas · 24-09-2015 12:57pm

These deaths at or around mecca are all to common sadly.

History of most recent stampedes below.... from The Independent.

2006: More than 360 pilgrims are killed in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Mecca, where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. The day before the hajj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Mecca collapsed, killing at least 73 people.

2004: A crush of pilgrims at Mina kills 244 pilgrims and injures hundreds on the final day of the hajjceremonies.

2001: A stampede at Mina during the final day of the pilgrimage ceremonies kills 35 hajj pilgrims.

1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death in panic after several of them fell off an overpass during the final stoning ritual at Mina.

1997: At least 340 pilgrims are killed in a fire at the tent city of Mina as the blaze was aided by high winds. More than 1,500 were injured.

1994: Some 270 pilgrims are killed in a stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina.

1990: The worst hajj-related tragedy claims the lives of 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca.

Tom Dunne · 24-09-2015 12:59pm

Terrible tragedy. I know a few people who are there right now, I hope they are OK.

It is currently the Muslim feast of Eid AlAdha, a time when the Hajj pilgrimage is typically taken.

old_aussie · 24-09-2015 1:05pm

alah must be displeased.

cowboyBuilder · 24-09-2015 1:13pm

Always amazes me that after this they still believe so strongly in their religion - ironic really

asherbassad · 24-09-2015 1:14pm

It seems to be impossible to ensure safety at this pilgrimage. There are just so many people all moving, all very excitable and from hundreds of different cultures speaking scores of different languages. I would imagine that every single language in the world is the native tongue of at least a few of them. It would be next to impossible to have any kind of announcements for them. That and the withering heat.

asherbassad · 24-09-2015 1:17pm

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

Always amazes me that after this they still believe so strongly in their religion - ironic really

Maybe if you took the time to broaden your mind you'd actually learn that their religion is practically identical to the other branches.

custard gannet · 24-09-2015 1:17pm

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

Always amazes me that after this they still believe so strongly in their religion - ironic really

When that crane accident happened one of the papers quoited some Egyptian nutter who said he wished he had been killed by it in such a holy place

It would remind you of Mrs Doyle going off on that retreat that sounded like it was borderline BDSM (fairly sure there actually is some awful island place like that off the North West somewhere, I remember my granny saying she knew people who went. Bear foot, rocky, windy, bread and water for three days type of thing)

Conall Cernach · 24-09-2015 1:21pm

custard gannet wrote: »

When that crane accident happened one of the papers quoited some Egyptian nutter who said he wished he had been killed by it in such a holy place It would remind you of Mrs Doyle going off on that retreat that sounded like it was borderline BDSM (fairly sure there actually is some awful island place like that off the North West somewhere, I remember my granny saying she knew people who went. Bear foot, rocky, windy, bread and water for three days type of thing)

Lough Derg. Still very popular.

asherbassad · 24-09-2015 1:30pm

custard gannet wrote: »

When that crane accident happened one of the papers quoited some Egyptian nutter who said he wished he had been killed by it in such a holy place It would remind you of Mrs Doyle going off on that retreat that sounded like it was borderline BDSM (fairly sure there actually is some awful island place like that off the North West somewhere, I remember my granny saying she knew people who went. Bear foot, rocky, windy, bread and water for three days type of thing)

What do they do with the bear foot?

custard gannet · 24-09-2015 1:31pm

asherbassad wrote: »

What do they do with the bear foot?

Oh ho! :pac:

Dyr · 24-09-2015 1:34pm

I hear the saudis are moving it to lisbon next year, the wifi was f***king dreadful and all

uck51js9zml2yt · 24-09-2015 1:39pm

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Terrible tragedy. I know a few people who are there right now, I hope they are OK.

It is currently the Muslim feast of Eid AlAdha, a time when the Hajj pilgrimage is typically taken.

So Tom, why is it impossible to put crowd control in place?
Agreed , a terrible tragedy but surely one that can be avoided.

fleet_admiral · 24-09-2015 1:48pm

That place is a mecca for stampedes

Saadyst · 24-09-2015 2:05pm

Over 700 people died and people are already cracking jokes about it.

To point out the obvious hypocrisy, if this happened in a western country we'd all be "RIP" and "thoughts with their loved ones" :rolleyes:

24-09-2015 2:14pm

Yea, its kind of disgusting behavior and I do hope the mods deal with it like they do other things. The death of innocent people isn't something to be laughed about.